Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-12-27
MAINSPRlNGS OF POLITICS.
Odd Incidents in the s.ate Gam
aM.nnign-t.e0rgc Like the
Hest of Us.

az am constantly longing for wealth: the
wide difference between my wishes and the
means Of gratifying them at my com manu
Kceps me in perpetual disquiet. 1t is my
main object in life to obtain wealth, or At
least more OF it than l have ct present.
Whether this is right or wrong do not now
consider, but that it is so | am conscious
When / look behind at my past life | see
that / have made little Or NO progress and
am Disguised: but when / consider my
present 1t is difficult to sec that am NOV
ing toward the goal at all.
This is an extract from letter
Henry George wrote to steadfast
friend almost one year prior to his
acceptance Of the Labor Mayoralty
nomination in 1856.
John Swinton recently rel ated the
following: Mr.. George had just sold
500 worth Of his publications, and
rushing into Swinton's Park-row sane
tum he deiiantly challenged his able
contemporary that he had more
money then than Swinton. The latter
picked up the gauntlet, and both hav-
ing agreed upon Mrs. Swinton as
stakeholder, each placed 81 as bet
in her hands. George was the first to
come to the scratch, and boldly plank
ed down his 500 in green backs.
George lost, for SWinton produced
check of three large figures, which he
had received from u newspaper syn
dictate, AMI won the 81, which Mrs.
Swinton contributed to the Bartholdi
statue fund.
Prof. VIM. Swipton, brother of the
editor, was tine first man to handle
the manuscript of Georges Progress
and Poverty" His influence with
Governor Irwin OF California also OBJ
tanned George his position as gas
meter inspector of San Francisco.
The burlesque campaign carried on
in this city last month was that OF the
Progressive Labor party in the
Seventh Senate District. To begin
with, its candidate for Senator, John
Swinton, was not in accord with the
principles OF Socialism. He considers
Socialism q beautiful novel, entirely
i'm possible OF consummation for many
decade to come. Not long ago when
asked regarding the hobby of the
Socialists OF universal cooperation he
reto,ted as if amazed: "Oo-operation
On what shall the Zulus in Africa
cooperate Two of the
members of the Senate Campaign
Executive Committee Of the Pro-
gressive did not know the English
language and needed an interpreter to
inform them of the proceeding of the
committee. While the campaign was
taking its pacific course the committee
was told one day that the compositors
of the party organ, The Leader, had
refused to set any more type until
they got the four weeks wages due
them.
The editorial writers and reporters,
including City Editor Col. X. j. Hin
ton, followed suit on another occa-
sion OF the same kind and foreclosed
on the scissors and old files of the
paper as first lien in lieu of their
wages. Next came the mortgages
Volks Zeitung) on The Leaders, prop
erty. Finally The Folks Zeitung peo-
pie were induced not to strangle the
paper, but to send up their German
exchange editor, who, the next day,
edited The Leader with the shears
and in such manner that Swinton's
chief opponent received "boom. "
Alexander Jones of The FOlks lei
tstag was appointed general solicitor
for the committee. He dunned every
well-to-do union to such an extent
that the unions declared that Jones
was the only one OF the crowd who
could get any money out of them.
At another time the delegates from
Fourteenth Assembly District told
the committee that large Ameri-
can constituency resided in his dis
trict who needed conversion.
Robert Blissert had in the mean
time consented to stump the State
for Swinton, but instead of sending
Blissert to the district to draw his
fellow-countrymen to Swinton's ban
ner, the committee assigned him to
1 the Ludlow street contingency, while